Alert archive / Minnesota / Tornado Watches in 2004
Tornado Watch 82
The Storm Prediction Center issued this tornado watch at Apr 18, 2004, 1:40 PM CDT for 38 counties in Minnesota; 10 counties in Wisconsin. It was in force for 6 hr.
The area
The outline as issued.
The facts
- Issued
- Apr 18, 2004, 1:40 PM CDT (18:40 UTC)
- Expired
- Apr 18, 2004, 8:00 PM CDT
- In force
- 6 hr
- Issued by
- the Storm Prediction Center
All 48 counties
Aitkin County, MN, Anoka County, MN, Benton County, MN, Carlton County, MN, Carver County, MN, Chippewa County, MN, Chisago County, MN, Cook County, MN, Crow Wing County, MN, Douglas County, MN, Grant County, MN, Hennepin County, MN, Isanti County, MN, Kanabec County, MN, Kandiyohi County, MN, Lac qui Parle County, MN, Lake County, MN, Lincoln County, MN, Lyon County, MN, McLeod County, MN, Meeker County, MN, Mille Lacs County, MN, Morrison County, MN, Otter Tail County, MN, Pine County, MN, Pope County, MN, Ramsey County, MN, Redwood County, MN, Renville County, MN, Sherburne County, MN, Stearns County, MN, Stevens County, MN, Swift County, MN, Todd County, MN, Wadena County, MN, Washington County, MN, Wright County, MN, Yellow Medicine County, MN, Ashland County, WI, Barron County, WI, Bayfield County, WI, Burnett County, WI, Douglas County, WI, Polk County, WI, Price County, WI, Rusk County, WI, Sawyer County, WI, Washburn County, WI
The radar
The Minneapolis radar (KMPX), 140 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 18:39 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.
Open the radar archive at this moment
The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.
Warnings issued inside it
42 tornado, severe thunderstorm and flash flood warnings for its counties while it was in force.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 18, 3:24 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MPX | Sherburne | 36 min |
| Apr 18, 3:27 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MPX | Benton, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Stearns | 63 min |
| Apr 18, 3:46 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MPX | Isanti, Kanabec | 59 min |
| Apr 18, 3:52 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | MPX | Isanti, Kanabec | 23 min |
| Apr 18, 3:54 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | MPX | Isanti, Kanabec | 21 min |
| Apr 18, 3:57 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MPX | Sherburne | 33 min |
| Apr 18, 3:59 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | DLH | Pine | 61 min |
| Apr 18, 4:00 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MPX | Meeker, Wright | 45 min |
| Apr 18, 4:08 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | MPX | Sherburne | 37 min |
| Apr 18, 4:13 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DLH | Lake, Saint Louis | 62 min |
| Apr 18, 4:15 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | MPX | Kanabec | 30 min |
| Apr 18, 4:27 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | MPX | Isanti | 48 min |
| Apr 18, 4:41 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | DLH | Burnett | 64 min |
| Apr 18, 4:42 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MPX | Chisago | 48 min |
| Apr 18, 4:56 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MPX | Meeker, Wright | 49 min |
| Apr 18, 5:13 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DLH | Douglas | 32 min |
| Apr 18, 5:15 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MPX | Sherburne | 30 min |
| Apr 18, 5:17 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MPX | Anoka, Isanti | 58 min |
| Apr 18, 5:18 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MPX | Brown, Redwood | 42 min |
| Apr 18, 5:23 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | DLH | Washburn | 67 min |
| Apr 18, 5:34 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MPX | Chisago, Isanti | 41 min |
| Apr 18, 5:44 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FSD | Lincoln, Lyon | 46 min |
| Apr 18, 5:46 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FSD | Lincoln, Lyon | 44 min |
| Apr 18, 5:46 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MPX | Carver, McLeod, Renville, Sibley | 59 min |
| Apr 18, 5:47 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MPX | Wright | 43 min |
| Apr 18, 5:52 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MPX | Sherburne | 38 min |
| Apr 18, 5:53 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DLH | Lake | 52 min |
| Apr 18, 5:54 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | DLH | Sawyer | 66 min |
| Apr 18, 5:58 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MPX | Anoka, Hennepin | 47 min |
| Apr 18, 5:59 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MPX | Brown, Nicollet, Redwood | 61 min |
| Apr 18, 6:02 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | MPX | Brown, Redwood | 43 min |
| Apr 18, 6:16 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MPX | Chisago | 44 min |
| Apr 18, 6:22 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MPX | Ramsey, Washington | 53 min |
| Apr 18, 6:30 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FSD | Lyon | 30 min |
| Apr 18, 6:32 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DLH | Ashland | 43 min |
| Apr 18, 6:34 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MPX | Wright | 26 min |
| Apr 18, 6:42 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MPX | Anoka, Hennepin | 48 min |
| Apr 18, 6:50 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MPX | Carver, McLeod | 40 min |
| Apr 18, 7:02 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MPX | Chisago | 43 min |
| Apr 18, 7:13 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MPX | Ramsey, Washington | 47 min |
| Apr 18, 7:33 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MPX | Carver | 42 min |
| Apr 18, 7:43 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MPX | Barron, Polk, Rusk | 47 min |
Discussions around it
SPC mesoscale discussions over the same counties from four hours before the watch to its end.
The nearest sounding before it
Minneapolis, MN (KMPX), launched 12:00Z, 6.7 hours before the alert went out and 140 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 680 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -274 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 697 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 61 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 361 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 401 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 4.3
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000
WWUS20 KWNS 181839
SEL2
SPC WW 181840
MNZ000-WIZ000-LSZ000-190100-
URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 82
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
140 PM CDT SUN APR 18 2004
THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF
CENTRAL AND EASTERN MINNESOTA
NORTHERN WISCONSIN
LAKE SUPERIOR
EFFECTIVE THIS SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM 140 PM UNTIL 800
PM CDT.
...THIS IS A PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION...
DESTRUCTIVE TORNADOES...LARGE HAIL TO 3 INCHES IN DIAMETER...
THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS TO 80 MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE
POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS.
THE TORNADO WATCH AREA IS ALONG AND 80 STATUTE MILES NORTH AND
SOUTH OF A LINE FROM 65 MILES SOUTHWEST OF ALEXANDRIA MINNESOTA TO
90 MILES EAST OF DULUTH MINNESOTA.
REMEMBER...A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR
TORNADOES AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA.
PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING
WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE
WARNINGS.
OTHER WATCH INFORMATION...CONTINUE...WW 81...
DISCUSSION...RAPID SEVERE THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT EXPECTED TO OCCUR
THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS CENTRAL MN...SPREADING INTO NORTHERN WI THIS
EVENING. DEEP SURFACE LOW...VERY STRONG LOW/MID LEVEL WIND
FIELDS...AND MODERATE INSTABILITY WILL ENHANCE THE THREAT OF
SUPERCELL STORMS CAPABLE OF VERY LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...AND
TORNADOES. POTENTIAL WILL EXIST FOR STRONG TORNADOES IMMEDIATELY
ALONG SURFACE WARM FRONT FROM CENTRAL MN INTO NORTHERN WI.
AVIATION...TORNADOES AND A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL
SURFACE AND ALOFT TO 3 INCHES. EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE WIND
GUSTS TO 70 KNOTS. A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO 500.
MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 25040.
...HART
462,0961 475,0901 453,0901 440,0961SPC that day
Everything else SPC issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 17, 7:45 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Blue Earth, Dodge, Faribault, Fillmore, Freeborn, Houston and 7 more | 5 hr |
| Apr 17, 9:31 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Blue Earth, Dodge, Faribault, Fillmore, Freeborn, Houston and 7 more | 119 min |
| Apr 17, 10:05 PM CDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | Blue Earth, Dodge, Faribault, Fillmore, Freeborn, Houston and 7 more | 5 hr |
| Apr 17, 11:10 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Big Stone, Chippewa, Cottonwood, Grant, Jackson, Kandiyohi and 14 more | 95 min |
| Apr 17, 11:35 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Big Stone, Brown, Chippewa, Cottonwood, Jackson, Kandiyohi and 16 more | 5 hr |
| Apr 17, 11:50 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Blue Earth, Dodge, Faribault, Fillmore, Freeborn, Houston and 7 more | 85 min |
| Apr 18, 12:30 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Anoka, Carver, Chisago, Dakota, Goodhue, Hennepin and 11 more | 5 hr |
| Apr 18, 2:37 AM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Aitkin, Anoka, Benton, Big Stone, Brown, Carlton and 40 more | 53 min |
| Apr 18, 4:43 AM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Aitkin, Benton, Carlton, Cass, Chisago, Crow Wing and 15 more | 32 min |
| Apr 18, 8:04 AM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Aitkin, Benton, Carlton, Cass, Crow Wing, Douglas and 6 more | 86 min |
| Apr 18, 12:39 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Aitkin, Anoka, Benton, Big Stone, Carlton, Carver and 32 more | 2 hr |
| Apr 18, 2:20 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Lincoln, Lyon, Pipestone, Rock | 6 hr |
| Apr 18, 3:33 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Aitkin, Anoka, Benton, Carlton, Chisago, Crow Wing and 12 more | 117 min |
| Apr 18, 4:15 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Blue Earth, Brown, Cottonwood, Dodge, Faribault, Fillmore and 15 more | 60 min |
| Apr 18, 4:40 PM CDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | Blue Earth, Cottonwood, Dodge, Faribault, Freeborn, Jackson and 6 more | 5 hr |
| Apr 18, 5:23 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Lincoln, Lyon, Pipestone, Rock | 2 hr |
| Apr 18, 6:35 PM CDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | Brown, Carver, Dakota, Goodhue, Hennepin, Le Sueur and 7 more | 5 hr |
| Apr 18, 1:49 AM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Calumet, Columbia, Dane, Dodge, Fond du Lac, Green and 11 more | 56 min |
Nearby
Tornado Watches in Minnesota, 2004Tornado Watches in Wisconsin, 2004Every tornado watch in 2004
Sources
The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.